<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Maybe by Mntsnflrs</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30026196">Maybe</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mntsnflrs/pseuds/Mntsnflrs'>Mntsnflrs</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Cat Dads, Domestic Fluff, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:22:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,790</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30026196</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mntsnflrs/pseuds/Mntsnflrs</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Qian Kun was a busy man.</p>
<p>He was also a gorgeous one.</p>
<p>And, hours after sunset when Ten awoke, hungry and dehydrated, he realised that Kun was a talented man too. The faint music from his piano was almost pretty enough to send Ten back to sleep.</p>
<p>Almost.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Qian Kun</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>482</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Maybe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I hope you enjoy this belated birthday fic, Yaya! and I hope everyone else enjoys too! Thank you as always for reading xo</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At times like this, staring up at the ceiling as the hours ticked by, Ten felt like his brain was a hamster. A tiny little hamster, sweet and sleepy by day, only to wake up at night and run to its wheel.</p>
<p>It was running now. Sprinting, really. Miles had passed on that imaginary plastic wheel as Ten tried to will himself to sleep.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the hours grew longer, and the hamster kept running.</p>
<p>Ten heaved himself out of bed and wandered through to the kitchen just as the sky was beginning to lighten. He flicked on the coffee machine and stroked a hand over Louis’ back, eyes straying to the window as he waited for his drink.</p>
<p>There was a truck outside. It was parked haphazardly outside of the lobby of the apartment complex, the back open. A chair emerged, landing on the ground with a dull thud that Ten heard through his closed window. The head that popped into view to check the chair was blonde.</p>
<p>The coffee machine beeped, and Ten turned back to his morning routine of guzzling enough caffeine to keep him conscious for the day.</p>
<p>He heard another thud, followed by a loud curse, but that wasn’t his business. He’d offer to help if he’d actually be any help, but his hands were thin and shaky, his wrists weak. Better to drink his coffee and stroke his cat. Better to wonder what his new neighbour would be like, and if they’d like living in the apartment next to Ten’s.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Qian Kun was a busy man.</p>
<p>He was devastatingly handsome, but he always seemed to be rushing when Ten passed him on the stairs or as they checked their mail. His hair, longer than it had first appeared, closer to white than gold, was always windswept. Like Ten’s imaginary hamster, Kun must have been running miles.</p>
<p>“I’m a professor,” he said, tone apologetic. Little into a month of being neighbours, and Kun’s furniture was still arriving. He stood outside and watched as his piano was professionally unloaded while Ten finished off his cigarette. “Sorry I haven’t introduced myself properly, I just always seem to be late for something.”</p>
<p>“Don’t apologise for having a life,” Ten said, enjoying the sound of Kun’s resulting laughter.</p>
<p>His smile was surprisingly warm. “What’s your name?”</p>
<p>“Ten.”</p>
<p>“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Ten.”</p>
<p>“It’s nice to meet you too, Professor.”</p>
<p>He laughed again, cheeks turning the sweetest shade of cherry blossom pink. “My name is Kun. Qian Kun. I just transferred from Shanghai.”</p>
<p>Ten stubbed out the butt of his cigarette and exhaled the last of the smoke. “Nice to meet you, Professor Qian. Nice piano.”</p>
<p>“Thank you. It won’t disturb you, will it? I play in the evenings when I’m done with my work.”</p>
<p>Ten waved a hand. “It won’t disturb me, don’t you worry. Just enjoy your new apartment and your evening piano.”</p>
<p>“I will,” Kun replied, soft. “And I’m glad to finally have your name.”</p>
<p><em>Have.</em> What an odd way to say it, like Ten had passed over something special, like Kun treasured knowing his name.</p>
<p>Ten shook his head slightly. A headache was already forming, but it had been for a couple of hours now. He needed another coffee. “I need to go feed my cat,” he said, trying not to notice the way Kun’s expression dropped ever so slightly. “If I don’t, he’ll throw a tantrum, and I’m not emotionally prepared to deal with that.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” Kun said. He shifted his feet slightly. “I’ll see you around, I suppose.”</p>
<p>“You will,” Ten said. “Take care.”</p>
<p>“You too.”</p>
<p>Ten threw the end of his cigarette in the trash and wandered back to the apartment, filling Louis’ bowl with kibble as soon as he got inside. He moved to the kettle, intent on tea instead of another coffee, and listened to the sound of the movers in Kun’s flat, rearranging furniture and banging things into their adjoining wall. It wasn’t the most comforting of music, but it was ambient sound nonetheless, and Ten let his eyes close as he fell against his couch and waited for the kettle to boil.</p>
<p>His eyes shot open again when one of the men dropped something against tile, the sound piercing and sharp against his already tender head. At the other end of the couch, Louis eyed Ten, unimpressed but just curious enough to be awake.</p>
<p>He heard the kettle turn itself off, the water boiled, and left it. Instead of making another drink, Ten picked up Louis with one hand and wandered into the bedroom, burrowing down beneath the sheets despite midday sun.</p>
<p>Louis curled up around him, used to their sporadic naps, used to Ten using him like a plushie, something warm and soft and lovable to cuddle when his brain hurt and his eyes watered.</p>
<p>Ten kissed the top of Louis’ head and let the world fade away into the dreamlike state he often found when his hamster hadn’t quite reached its wheel.</p>
<p>Qian Kun was a busy man.</p>
<p>He was also a gorgeous one.</p>
<p>And, hours after sunset when Ten awoke, hungry and dehydrated, he realised that Kun was a talented man too. The faint music from his piano was almost pretty enough to send Ten back to sleep.</p>
<p>Almost.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Who’s the sexy guy checking the mail downstairs?”</p>
<p>Ten didn’t look up from his sketch, just kept shading and waited for the kiss he knew Johnny would place on the top of his head. “If he’s checking the mail, I’d assume he’s a resident of the building. That’s how it works.”</p>
<p>The kiss landed on target, just like he knew it would. “Smartass. Who’s the new guy, huh?”</p>
<p>Ten shrugged, finally putting down his pencil. “A professor that moved in next door. He seems nice enough.” He leaned back, allowing Johnny a view of his desk. “Does this look like a raccoon? It’s meant to be a mole but now that I’m thinking of raccoons they’re all I can see it as.”</p>
<p>Johnny peered over Ten’s shoulder, his golden hair hanging long. “It looks like a mole, dude. Maybe make the paws bigger though? Moles have those fucking baseball gloves hands, it’s awesome.”</p>
<p>Ten hummed. “You’re right. It’ll look better once it’s coloured, too.”</p>
<p>“Very true. What is it for?”</p>
<p>“A children’s book about woodland creatures. The mole is called Molly, and she makes friends as she runs errands for her parents. Should I put a daisy behind her ear?”</p>
<p>“Absolutely,” Johnny said, no hesitation at all. “Give them all flowers.”</p>
<p>Ten thought about it for a moment. A little mole family living in their burrow, each with an identifying flower. Molly with a daisy, her mother with a rose, her father with a tulip. “You have such wonderful ideas,” he murmured, making a note of it at the bottom of the page.</p>
<p>Johnny grinned, a little bashful. “Thanks. Is your neighbour single?”</p>
<p>Ten sighed, fond. “I don’t know, babe,” he said. “Are you?”</p>
<p>Johnny lifted his hand, engagement ring flashing. “Nope,” he said. “But you know I wasn’t asking for me.”</p>
<p>“Stop trying to throw my flat ass at every man that catches your eye.”</p>
<p>“It’s not flat!” Johnny said, offended on Ten’s behalf in the way that only good friends could be.</p>
<p>“I appreciate you saying so, but it’s also very noticeable that you didn’t deny you throw me at everyone.”</p>
<p>“You have a lot of love to go around, and you deserve a lot in return,” Johnny said. He kissed Ten’s head again, pulling back with a pout. “I actually came over to see if you wanted to go for dinner, but if you’re working how about I order something for delivery?”</p>
<p>Ten pursed his lips. He hadn’t really thought about food, but that happened a lot when he fell into a hole of work. When he was drawing, he didn’t think of much else, and only now that he was looking at Johnny instead of paper did he recognise the hunger pangs in his midriff. “Delivery would be great,” he said. “What kind are you thinking of?”</p>
<p>“I was thinking classic burgers, thick fries, artery clogging sauce, the whole nine yards. Opinion?”</p>
<p>“Sounds good,” Ten said.</p>
<p>“Great!” And then, a little quieter, “Do you think your new neighbour has eaten yet?”</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t know,” Ten said, sweet. “And I don’t intend to find out.”</p>
<p>Johnny laughed, stepping back. “I’ll go through to the kitchen and ring. What kind of burger do you want?”</p>
<p>“Chicken with sweet chilli, please.”</p>
<p>“A noble choice. I’m going for eight layers of beef and maybe a slice of cheese.”</p>
<p>Ten laughed, turning back to his desk. “Let me know how much it comes to and I’ll transfer you half of the cost.”</p>
<p>Johnny scoffed, but it was muted, already rooms away. “As if I’d ever let you pay.”</p>
<p>And maybe because Ten was still stuck in his dreamland of Johnny behind a good friend, he didn’t stop to think when he heard the creak of the door. Maybe Johnny had left his wallet in his car, or maybe his phone’s signal was bad.</p>
<p>But no. Sadly, Ten was mistaken.</p>
<p>He realised only when the door creaked again, and instead of Johnny’s one-sided conversation over the phone, a smooth, familiar voice replied to whatever it was that Johnny was saying.</p>
<p>When Johnny peered through the doorway, Ten had already prepared his glare. “Fuck you.”</p>
<p>Johnny just laughed. “When you first met Jaehyun you told him that I wanted the two of you to Eiffel Tower me.”</p>
<p>“Eight years ago, Johnny!”</p>
<p>He just shrugged. “Karma may move slow, but she never stops. Come and sit on the couch with Kun while I make us all coffee.”</p>
<p>“This is not your apartment.”</p>
<p>“Then why do I have a key?”</p>
<p>“For emergencies!”</p>
<p>“As far as I’m concerned, Tennie making friends <em>is</em> an emergency. Come on out, don’t be rude.”</p>
<p>He wasn’t left with much of a choice. It was either comply or look like a complete asshole, and while Johnny may have deserved the latter, Kun certainly didn’t.</p>
<p>Ten paused briefly in front of the mirror, examining himself. The shadows under his eyes were deep, his lips chapped and raw. His hair was long, his sweater too big. He looked like kind of a mess, but as his neighbour, Kun was probably going to see worse. Kind of a mess was still an improvement on the dumpster fire of Ten’s worst days.</p>
<p>He emerged from his office slowly, as though Kun might have left by the time he reached the lounge. Unfortunately Kun was still there, as painfully gorgeous as before, even in a pressed shirt and sweater vest. His hair was neat for once, parted on the side and slicked back slightly. He blinked up at Ten, as if surprised to find him in his own apartment. “Hi.”</p>
<p>“Hey,” Ten said, offering an awkwardly limp wave. “How’re you?”</p>
<p>“Good, thank you,” Kun said. His cheeks coloured slightly. “Am I intruding? Your friend Johnny invited me over, but if you’re busy I completely understand.”</p>
<p>Guilt was an uncomfortable feeling that settled somewhere in Ten’s empty stomach. “I’m not busy,” he said, taking a seat in his lone armchair, the one he’d found on a street corner years ago and had begged Taeyong to reupholster. The forest green chintz was slightly faded from sunlight, slightly frayed from Louis, but it still felt like clouds as Ten curled his legs underneath his body. “Sorry if this is awkward, I’m just a little…”</p>
<p>“Tired?” Kun suggested. “You look exhausted.”</p>
<p>Ten winced. “Sure.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t mean it as an insult,” Kun said quickly, the blush in his cheeks deepening. “I just meant – I know what to look for. I know that feeling all too well.”</p>
<p>“I guess you would,” Ten said, slightly placated. “Professor Qian, the neighbour that’s always running late for something.”</p>
<p>Kun nodded. He pushed his lips out into a pout before smiling crookedly. "It’s hectic, but I thrive under pressure. What about you?”</p>
<p>“Any kind of obligation makes me want to bury myself alive.”</p>
<p>Kun’s laugh was closer to a giggle than Ten had first expected. It was oddly youthful. “I meant for a job, Ten. I was wondering what you do for a living.”</p>
<p>“Ah,” he said, not awake enough to feel embarrassed. “I’m a freelance illustrator. I’m working on a kid’s book right now.”</p>
<p>“That’s amazing!” Kun said, lighting up.</p>
<p>Ten thought of Molly and her little daisy accessory. She wasn’t his creation, but to help bring her to life for the children that would read about her adventures was oddly humbling. How many children would read about Molly and admire the pictures that Ten drew? How many handsome men like Kun would have their child tugging on their sleeve to ask for Molly as their bedtime story? Maybe Kun was right. Maybe it was amazing.</p>
<p>“Thanks,” Ten murmured, looking down. He felt his glasses slip down the bridge of his nose and pushed them back up, ignoring the faint tremor of his fingers.</p>
<p>There was a pause, awkward and a little tense.</p>
<p>Kun cleared his throat. “Is Johnny going to be joining us? He seems nice.”</p>
<p>“He’s great,” Ten said, lacking a certain enthusiasm that he would have felt roughly fifteen minutes ago, before the betrayal. “He said he was making us coffee; I’ll just go check he hasn’t fallen out of the window.”</p>
<p>Inside the kitchen, the only living creature was Louis, curled up on the counter with a fluorescent green sticky note on his back. Ten peeled it off carefully, read the messy writing, and then crumpled the note and threw it into the trash with a heavy sigh.</p>
<p>
  <em>Something came up, LOL. I paid for the food and a generous tip, so just enjoy your meal and getting to know your sexy, sexy neighbour. Hugs and kisses &lt;3</em>
</p>
<p>Ten turned his coffee machine on and returned to the lounge. “Kun, how do you like your coffee?”</p>
<p>Kun peered back, surprised. “A little milk, one sugar please. Did Johnny forget?”</p>
<p>“He snuck out,” Ten said. “He had… business.”</p>
<p>“Oh. I didn’t know.”</p>
<p>Kun sounded disappointed, and Ten tried to tell himself that it wasn’t because Johnny was literally the sexiest fucking lumberjack sized god to ever walk the earth. “It must have been a work emergency if he didn’t say goodbye,” he said, just to soothe any of Kun’s worrying. “I’m sure everything is fine, but I’ll text him later to make sure he’s okay.”</p>
<p>“Lovely,” Kun said, quiet. His sadness had softened into something more peaceful. “You seem to be very close.”</p>
<p>“Best friends,” Ten said. “For almost fifteen years now.”</p>
<p>“Wow,” Kun replied, raising his brows. “You don’t look old enough for that kind of longevity.”</p>
<p>Ten couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re kidding, right?”</p>
<p>“Not at all. If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you? I thought twenty-three, maybe.”</p>
<p>Ten would have invited Kun round sooner if he’d known he’d be getting flattery this extreme. “I appreciate you saying so, but I’m thirty-one.”</p>
<p>Kun’s eyebrows continued to climb. “We don’t look the same age,” he said faintly. “But I suppose stranger things have happened.”</p>
<p>The coffee machine clicked before Ten could think of a reply, saving him the mental effort. He meandered back into the kitchen, returning with Kun’s coffee in one hand and Louis in the other.</p>
<p>The noise Kun made was inhuman. When he spoke, his voice came out slightly strangled. “This is your cat?”</p>
<p>Ten hummed, passing over the coffee. “He’s called Louis.”</p>
<p>Kun stared at Louis. “He’s beautiful.”</p>
<p>“Thank you,” Ten said, taking a seat. He preened a little, always proud of his son receiving compliments, and kissed Louis’ head. “Do you have any pets?”</p>
<p>“I have a cat too,” Kun said, taking a sip of his coffee. Since Louis had entered the room, Kun’s eyes hadn’t strayed anywhere else, even if he did think Ten looked twenty-three. “He’s called Leon. He’s a little more… lively.”</p>
<p>Ten nodded. “Louis has his moments, but he’s pretty chill most of the time. He’s the best to cuddle with.”</p>
<p>“I can imagine,” Kun said. The longing in his expression was so blatant that Ten couldn’t ignore it even if he wanted to.</p>
<p>“D’you want to hold him?”</p>
<p>“Would he mind?”</p>
<p>Ten glanced down at Louis, who didn’t look like he’d mind anything in that moment. “I doubt it,” he said. “Do you want to?”</p>
<p>“Yes, please.”</p>
<p>So Ten heaved himself back out of his chair and placed Louis into Kun’s lap, watching as the two seemed to melt together instantly. As soon as Kun started petting behind his ears, Louis was stretched out and purring as loud as a car engine.</p>
<p>Ten sat back down, halfway between impressed and envious. He didn’t know if he wanted to be Kun or Louis, but he definitely wanted to be one of them.</p>
<p>“You should bring him over one day,” Kun murmured, eyes still on Louis. “Maybe our cats could be friends.”</p>
<p>It was an odd suggestion, but the more Ten knew about Kun, the more obvious it became that he was dealing with an odd man. “Sure,” Ten said. “If Leon doesn’t mind.”</p>
<p>“He won’t, he loves company,” Kun said. “Before I moved here I was staying with a couple of friends while my tenure was arranged, and Leon loved living there. They have a dog called Bella, and the two became best friends. I’m sure he’d love Louis too.”</p>
<p>Things seemed to relax after that. With a cat curled up on his lap, Kun lost some of the tension holding him rigid, and with each sip of his coffee he sunk further into the couch. By the time their food had arrived, he was complaining loudly about a handful of his colleagues and their attitudes towards certain genres of literature.</p>
<p>“It’s like –“ Kun said between mouthfuls of his burger, “ – Just because you don’t like science fiction doesn’t mean that it’s not credible as a source of beautiful writing, which is what the best novels are based on, right? Some experts are so damn pretentious. If your students enjoy reading sci-fi, don’t berate them! Encourage them! Reading is amazing, whatever it is! You should be helping your students to grow, not forcing them into a box!”</p>
<p>Ten nodded. He didn’t know much about the literary world other than what he illustrated and the novels he read in his spare time, but Kun was passionate. Whether it was his voice or the way he kept slipping pieces of burger to Louis when he thought Ten wasn’t looking, he was interesting enough to keep Ten awake and at least mostly alert.</p>
<p>“I just hate gatekeeping in academia,” Kun said with a sigh. “It’s disheartening.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure your students are glad to have a professor so passionate about inclusivity,” Ten said. He picked at his chicken, the chili oil on his fingers colouring his skin a faint red. “I don’t know much about literature, but having someone to teach you that respects your interests is always important. Knowing you’re not fighting your corner alone can be the confidence someone needs to keep going.”</p>
<p>Kun nodded. Behind his wire glasses, his eyes were dark and gentle. “There’s always a light in the darkness. Even if it’s a lonely professor who feeds his cat too much.”</p>
<p>Ten felt warm. Maybe he was just that sleep deprived, or maybe a lonely professor really was the solution to his bad dreams. “To a hungry cat, that lonely professor could mean everything.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Things settled into a sweet rhythm, as Kun seemed to inspire the kind of soft tranquillity in the moments he wasn’t sprinting between meetings and lectures.</p>
<p>He settled in well, and Ten was pleased to hear the sound of laughter through the walls, multiple voices and the yap of a small dog that suggested a visit from Bella and her owners. It was good to know that at times, the lonely professor wasn’t quite so lonely.</p>
<p>He spent at least an hour of every evening on the piano, the tune varying depending on his mood. Sometimes it was something Ten could recognise, and sometimes it was unfamiliar. Whatever he played; it was always beautiful.</p>
<p>Ten’s hamster didn’t much appreciate music or any of the ambient rain sounds he played to try and fall asleep, but it seemed to have a begrudging respect for Kun’s piano. Sleep didn’t come, but the speed of the wheel slowed for those few hours.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Johnny was right.”</p>
<p>Ten didn’t bother replying, but unfortunately it never seemed to deter Doyoung from speaking.</p>
<p>“He asked if I was your boyfriend when we met on the stairs. It wasn’t an ambivalent tone, Ten.”</p>
<p>Nothing sounded ambivalent to Doyoung. He was the king of making nothing into something.</p>
<p>“What’s the harm in asking him out to dinner? I don’t understand why you’re being so stubborn. You’re clearly attracted to him, and he seems nice.”</p>
<p>“He is nice,” Ten mumbled. With his face wedged in the couch cushions, his words came out muffled.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, not muffled enough for Doyoung to misunderstand them. “So, you agree he’s nice. You didn’t argue with me about being attracted to him. Do you need me to suck his dick for you, or can you manage that much yourself?”</p>
<p>Ten sighed into the cushion. “It’s different for you,” he said. “It’s like you were born already married to Taeyong.”</p>
<p>“The only difference between us is that when I realised I’d developed feelings for Taeyong, I did something about it. I don’t roll over like you do, showing my ass in tight pants and hoping that it’s enough of a signal.”</p>
<p>Ten lifted his head at that, just to pout. “Harsh.”</p>
<p>“But true.”</p>
<p>“Maybe.”</p>
<p>“I’ll humour you then. What have you done to make your feelings clear?”</p>
<p>“I looked after his cat when a meeting overran.”</p>
<p>Doyoung stared, unimpressed. “I used to cat-sit for my grandmother. It doesn’t suggest anything romantic.”</p>
<p>“I’m a <em>Pisces;</em> what do you want from me?”</p>
<p>“Acknowledgement that romance is more than daydreaming.”</p>
<p>“You’re the one insisting I want something romantic, not me!”</p>
<p>Doyoung snorted. “Please. You’re even more transparent than Johnny.”</p>
<p>And yeah. Maybe Ten did entertain the occasional daydream about Kun. Maybe he did think about combing his fingers through Kun’s windswept hair and kissing away the stress frown that settled as a crease between his brows.</p>
<p>“It’s strange,” Doyoung murmured, eyes unusually serious. “Your ambition is endless, Ten. You’re always the first of us all to jump. What’s wrong with you?”</p>
<p>“There’s a lot wrong with me,” Ten said with a smile. “My friends are all mean, for one.”</p>
<p>“We’ve always been mean. What has changed?”</p>
<p>“I’m tired,” Ten admitted quietly. “Always.”</p>
<p>Doyoung nodded. “I appreciate that,” he said, matching Ten’s tone, “But something tells me that the neighbour always running home isn’t looking for a relationship with risks. Seems to me like something sleepy might suit him best.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Leon was a beautiful cat, and almost exactly the opposite of Louis in every possible way. He was slim and pointed, his eyes wide and alert. Energetic and bouncy, whenever Kun knocked on Ten’s door with a briefcase in one hand and a cat in the other, Leon was quick to make himself at home amongst Ten’s belongings. He liked Louis, probably more than Louis liked him, but that didn’t deter his affectionate pawing.</p>
<p>Overall he was a wonderful, if temporary, addition to the household.</p>
<p>If only his visits came with his owner.</p>
<p>Ten’s evenings spent between two purring cats could only be improved by a handsome man to lean his head against, a heavy, reassuring hand running through his hair.</p>
<p>It wasn’t as though Kun were using Ten as an unpaid babysitter – the first time it had happened was in Kun’s apartment, while the two men drank coffee and watched their cats slowly scent one another.</p>
<p>When Kun’s phone rang and he excused himself into his office, Ten figured he’d be kicked out sooner rather than later, with another one of Kun’s appointments rolling in at the last minute. Instead, Kun emerged ten minutes later looking weary and bedraggled, taking a seat on the couch next to Ten and drinking his coffee with low shoulders.</p>
<p>“I have to leave town for a couple of days,” he said into his mug. “A professor wants me to appear as a guest lecturer, and I couldn’t think of a reason to say no.”</p>
<p>And maybe it was the way Kun gazed at Leon so sadly, like he was already missing him. Maybe it was the way that, if Ten had to leave for a couple of days, he’d want Louis to be with someone he knew would take good care of him, someone used to cats and their oddities, someone who would be happy to send regular updates, someone that wasn’t out of the house for twenty hours of the day. Maybe it was none of those things. Maybe Ten just felt guilty about the first day he’d seen Kun, watching from his kitchen window without coming down to offer help.</p>
<p>“If you’re comfortable with it, I’d be happy to have Leon while you’re gone,” Ten found himself saying. “I could send you pictures to keep you motivated.”</p>
<p>Kun looked at Ten, something unfamiliar in his eyes. “I don’t want to bother you, Ten.”</p>
<p>“Adding another cat to my apartment isn’t bothering me,” Ten said. He gestured to where Leon was grooming Louis. “Besides, they look like they’d enjoy the extra company, don’t you think?”</p>
<p>Kun looked torn, beautiful dimples pressing into his cheeks as he nibbled his bottom lip. “Are you sure?”</p>
<p>“I’m sure.”</p>
<p>And it begun. The slowest, loveliest, loneliest torture Ten had ever endured.</p>
<p>He’d get Leon at least twice a month, if not more. Sometimes it was for a couple of hours, an evening, a day. Sometimes it was a week. Whatever the length of time, Kun always made it his job to do something for Ten in response. Whether it was a home cooked meal, another coffee invitation, a bouquet of flowers, or a box of chocolates – his thanks were old fashioned in the best kind of way.</p>
<p>“Romantic, one might say,” Johnny said, staring at the yellow tulips on Ten’s kitchen counter. “It’s almost as though he wants you to take the hint that he’s interested in you.”</p>
<p>“He’s thanking me for babysitting his cat,” Ten said, shading in the dungarees he’d been requested to add to Molly’s design.</p>
<p>“Maybe he is,” Johnny agreed. “But what if it’s more than that?”</p>
<p>“I’m too old to take hints, Johnny.”</p>
<p>“Flowers and chocolates aren’t <em>hints,</em> Ten.”</p>
<p>Maybe. But Ten was thirty-one. He smoked too much, he loved his cat too much, and his sleep pattern was decided by a whimsical hamster that didn’t fucking exist. Kun was a sexy professor that loved his cat the right amount and didn’t smoke. His life wasn’t dictated by a fictional animal.</p>
<p>“You better not be thinking bad thoughts about yourself,” Johnny warned, pulling a tulip out of the vase to tap against Ten’s nose like a magic wand. “If you are, I’ll go and ask Kun how he feels myself.”</p>
<p>“These flowers are from last week,” Ten said, meeting Johnny’s challenging gaze. “Kun’s not home.”</p>
<p>“You want me to call your bluff?”</p>
<p>No, Ten didn’t want that. All Johnny had to do was search the apartment for Leon and the ruse would be over. “I want you to think about your upcoming wedding instead of my love life. What would Jaehyun think of his fiancé focusing on my neighbour instead of those strict seating arrangements?”</p>
<p>“Jaehyun’s pretty invested in your blossoming relationship, actually,” Johnny said. “As for the seating arrangements, we’ve left a space open for a plus one. Just in case you need it.”</p>
<p>“Go away,” Ten said, exhausted.</p>
<p>Johnny just laughed, tucking the tulip into Ten’s bun. “Go see a doctor,” he said. “You’re clearly anaemic. Get some sleep, ask Kun on a date, kiss Louis for me. I love you.”</p>
<p>“I love you too,” Ten said, too soft and too tired to argue. “Go home and fuck your fiancé.”</p>
<p>Johnny left with a lingering kiss to Ten’s hair, and Ten soon settled back into the familiar silence of living alone.</p>
<p>He finished up Molly’s dungarees, and just as he was pulling away from his sketchbook, the familiar sound of Kun warming up on his piano began to drift through the walls.</p>
<p>With the silence banished, Ten curled up on his couch with Louis in his arms and drifted to the sound of Kun’s music.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When Kun knocked the following week, it was late.</p>
<p>He stood in Ten’s doorway, eyes wide and panicked, Leon squirming in his grip. “Hi,” he said. “I’m sorry, I know it’s late. I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>Ten rubbed his eyes. “What’s wrong, baby?” he asked. He took Leon from Kun’s prone hands, smoothing a finger down Leon’s nose.</p>
<p>“It’s – my friend. Bella’s owner. He’s had an anxiety attack, and I want to make sure he’s okay.”</p>
<p>“I’m so sorry,” Ten said. “Go see him, Kun. I’ll take care of Leon.”</p>
<p>“I might not be back until morning. I know you like to sleep late, but I-“</p>
<p>Before he could finish, Ten grabbed the keys from his bowl and pressed them into Kun’s hand. “Let yourself in if I don’t answer. I trust you, Kun. Go see your friend.”</p>
<p>He nodded, silent. “Okay.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” Ten said quietly.</p>
<p>“He’s fine,” Kun said suddenly, louder than he should have been. “I know he’s fine, his boyfriend rang to tell me what had happened, and he assured me Yukhei is fine, but I can’t – I just want to make sure. I just want to be safe.”</p>
<p>“Then be safe,” Ten said. “I’ll be right here with Leon when you get back. Take your time and make sure you feel comfortable enough to come home.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” Kun said again, voice rough. He swallowed. “Thank you, Ten.”</p>
<p>“You’re welcome.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And Ten must have been asleep when Kun returned, because he woke to Louis alone, no sign of Leon. He stumbled to the kitchen for some water, the morning sunlight too bright for his tired eyes, and because of his squinting almost missed the bouquet of red roses sat on his coffee table.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Take these iron supplements and see how you go,” Dr Kim said, eying him critically. “Come back in two weeks and we’ll see if we need to run any tests.”</p>
<p>Ten nodded. “You really think this will help with my sleep?”</p>
<p>“It won’t fix everything, but it will help you to feel more balanced,” she said. “Try gentle exercise in the morning and make sure you eat green vegetables. The less caffeine you consume, the better. We’ll see how you go.”</p>
<p>He nodded and agreed to try and cut back on the cigarettes, the small container of tablets weighing him down.</p>
<p>He barely lifted his head all the way home, only glancing up when someone tall and quick almost knocked him back down the stairs of the apartment building.</p>
<p>A big hand caught him before he could fall, but Ten didn’t have the energy to panic anyway.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” the man said, eyes wide and fearful. “You’re like, way below my line of sight. Because of the stairs, that is. Not because you’re really short, which you’re not!”</p>
<p>Ten recognised that voice, the deep tenor that accompanied Bella’s excited barking through the walls. “Yukhei? You’re Kun’s friend, right?”</p>
<p>He blinked. “Yeah. You’re Ten?”</p>
<p>“That’s me.”</p>
<p>“Ah. You’re really beautiful, I can see why Kun is so in love.”</p>
<p>Okay. Maybe Ten did have the energy to panic. “He’s <em>what?”</em></p>
<p>Yukhei laughed, uncertain. “He hasn’t said anything? He said he would, like, weeks ago. He was gonna buy you flowers and invite you to dinner or something.” Yukhei shrugged. “He can be shy.”</p>
<p>“He got halfway there,” Ten said faintly. “A couple of times, actually.”</p>
<p>“He did? Great!”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Ten said. Hints – the flowers weren’t hints. They were nervous, uncertain attempts at bravery. “You’re just leaving, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>“Yes. Why?”</p>
<p>“Just – don’t tell Kun you saw me yet.”</p>
<p>“Where are you-“</p>
<p>But Ten was already running back down the stairs, full of an adrenaline he didn’t know he could still feel. As he jogged, he rang Johnny. “Hey, babe. When you proposed, where did you get those beautiful peonies?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When Ten returned to the apartment complex, the sky was starting to darken.</p>
<p>As he approached Kun’s door, he heard faint, familiar music. He wondered, not for the first time, what it would sound like without the barrier of a wall. If he pressed his ear to Kun’s chest, would he hear it there too?</p>
<p>He wanted to know.</p>
<p>After knocking, it took only a moment for Kun to open the door. For once, his hair was neat, his glasses in place. He blinked at Ten, then down at the oversized bouquet of gardenias. “Hi. Is everything okay?”</p>
<p>“These are for you,” Ten said, passing them over. “For being patient, and for being brave. Will you go to dinner with me, Kun?”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“I want to kiss you, but I want to buy you dinner first. That makes it more romantic, doesn’t it? And more official. We need to do things by the book.”</p>
<p>“We do?”</p>
<p>“Yes,” Ten said firmly. “Will you go to dinner with me, Kun?”</p>
<p>“Yes,” Kun said. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates. “Are you ill?”</p>
<p>“No, just tired,” Ten said. “But you don’t mind, do you?”</p>
<p>“Not at all,” Kun said. “If you’re tired, we could just stay in, order some food here. You could bring Louis over. We could watch a movie.”</p>
<p>Ten kind of wanted to cry. Maybe it was the adrenaline, or maybe it was just Kun. Sweet and earnest, too good to be true in too many ways. “I need to make this clear,” Ten said, voice shaky. “I don’t do hints anymore, I’m too old for that. I have romantic feelings for you, Qian Kun.”</p>
<p>“I have romantic feelings for you, too, Ten. I think you’re wonderful.” Gardenias in his hands, Kun looked like the love interest out of a regency novel Ten would pretend he hadn’t read. He looked like the kind of man that would fit perfectly in bed next to Ten, sandwiched by their cats.</p>
<p>He looked like the man that Ten was already in love with.</p>
<p>Still, there would be time for that later. For now, Ten had to pick up Louis, and Kun had to pick a film.</p>
<p>Love could wait just a little longer.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>